Hello,

No, this isn't the same old annoying argument on which manufacturer
produces better knives. I think its safe to say they are roughly
equivelent in their matching lines.

Instead, my question is this: 10 years ago, when I purchased my first
set of knives, Henckel ruled supreme. Today, it seems that Wusthof
are the more popular "ones to get". I'm not suggesting to follow the
wave - but is there any reason for this change of popular opinion?

Perhaps there is a quality difference I'm not aware of..

SOda

Perhaps it's because of TV. I often see the food network personalities and
chef's on other channels use Wusthof. It does not hurt when Martha Stewart
tells her minions that they are her preferred knife and which ones to buy.
That's way be part of it.

"Soda Pop" wrote in message
m...
Hello,

No, this isn't the same old annoying argument on which manufacturer
produces better knives. I think its safe to say they are roughly
equivelent in their matching lines.

Instead, my question is this: 10 years ago, when I purchased my first
set of knives, Henckel ruled supreme. Today, it seems that Wusthof
are the more popular "ones to get". I'm not suggesting to follow the
wave - but is there any reason for this change of popular opinion?

Perhaps there is a quality difference I'm not aware of..

SOda

I dunno. They're both equally overpriced. Most real pros abandoned them
long ago for things that were cheaper and just as good - F. Dick, Forschner,
Global, etc.


"Soda Pop" wrote in message
m...
Hello,

No, this isn't the same old annoying argument on which manufacturer
produces better knives. I think its safe to say they are roughly
equivelent in their matching lines.

Instead, my question is this: 10 years ago, when I purchased my first
set of knives, Henckel ruled supreme. Today, it seems that Wusthof
are the more popular "ones to get". I'm not suggesting to follow the
wave - but is there any reason for this change of popular opinion?

Perhaps there is a quality difference I'm not aware of..

SOda

"Jack Denver" wrote in message
...
I dunno. They're both equally overpriced. Most real pros abandoned them
long ago for things that were cheaper and just as good - F. Dick,
Forschner,
Global, etc.


"Soda Pop" wrote in message
m...
Hello,

No, this isn't the same old annoying argument on which manufacturer
produces better knives. I think its safe to say they are roughly
equivelent in their matching lines.

Instead, my question is this: 10 years ago, when I purchased my first
set of knives, Henckel ruled supreme. Today, it seems that Wusthof
are the more popular "ones to get". I'm not suggesting to follow the
wave - but is there any reason for this change of popular opinion?

Perhaps there is a quality difference I'm not aware of..

SOda



How did you get those brands together? The Dick are virtually the same
price as the Wusthof etc. and the same quality. You may find them
discounted more but the dealer cost is about the same. Global are slightly
less expensive but only slightly. Forschner are downright cheap knives. I
wouldn't put them in the same sentence, let alone the same comparison as the
other knives. Take care.

Fred
Knife Outlet
http://www.knifeoutlet.com

In article ,
(Soda Pop) wrote:

Hello,

No, this isn't the same old annoying argument on which manufacturer
produces better knives. I think its safe to say they are roughly
equivelent in their matching lines.

Instead, my question is this: 10 years ago, when I purchased my first
set of knives, Henckel ruled supreme. Today, it seems that Wusthof
are the more popular "ones to get". I'm not suggesting to follow the
wave - but is there any reason for this change of popular opinion?


I think one problem with Heckel is that they have chosen to produce a
bewildering array of knives at all price points - they have serrated,
edges (never need sharpening ) international line, have plain old
international line, twinstar, fourstar...... etc. The international line
again is made in numerous countries. So if you see a Henckle at target
and see 10 knives for $50, you might think it is a steal, but actually it
is a very cheap blade. I think through this process they have cheapened
their name.

Their best knives are probably as good as ever, it just so happens that
to a casual buyer who only knows their name and not all the fine points,
might find themselves buying a knife, finding out it is merely OK and
concluding that the name produces junk.

Roland

"Jack Denver" wrote:

I dunno. They're both equally overpriced. Most real pros abandoned them
long ago for things that were cheaper and just as good - F. Dick, Forschner,
Global, etc.

All pros go to the local restaurant supply house and buy pots and pans....NOT
AllClad, etc. It is all a status symbol...to say the least. Probably
explains why most "granite" kitchens are a room that no one would be allowed to
mess up....let alone do a stir fry that might spatter up the imported Italian
marble back splash and soil the grout.

Henckel seems to have completely diluted their brand with low-end
products.

Frankly, I have no clue what the difference is between international,
four star, five star, pro s, twin signature, fine edge pro, forged,
pro, everedge plus, etc. I can't walk into a store, pick up a
random Henckel knife, and have any clue whatsoever whether it's
high-quality or junk.

With so many other quality choices at prices as good or better than
Henckel, I can't see any reason why I should bother figuring it out.

I just checked out the Wusthof site, and it took me exactly one
click to get to a section that explains exactly what the differences
are betwen the classic, grand prix, and culinar collections are.
(Answer: just the handle construction. The blades are identical.)

-Patti
--
Patti Beadles, Oakland, CA |
|
http://www.gammon.com/ | MCSE: technology's version of
Check out www.tribe.net! | an ambulance chaser.

On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 00:30:17 +0000, Andrew Hardy wrote:

All pros go to the local restaurant supply house and buy pots and
pans....NOT AllClad, etc.

Maybe for pots and pans, but even the pros will drool over a nice Hobart
mixer or Continental refrigerator. They just drool for different reasons.

It is all a status symbol...to say the least. Probably explains why
most "granite" kitchens are a room that no one would be allowed to mess
up....let alone do a stir fry that might spatter up the imported Italian
marble back splash and soil the grout.

No kidding - the kitchen in my house is a mess all the time, and the
granite island is never clean. I make it look nice when people are around,
but even by the time guests leave it's a sty again. I definitely would not
have made that design choice.

--
-Brian James Macke
"In order to get that which you wish for, you must first get that which
builds it." -- Unknown

"Brian Macke" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 00:30:17 +0000, Andrew Hardy wrote:

All pros go to the local restaurant supply house and buy pots and
pans....NOT AllClad, etc.

Maybe for pots and pans, but even the pros will drool over a nice Hobart
mixer or Continental refrigerator. They just drool for different reasons.

It is all a status symbol...to say the least. Probably explains why
most "granite" kitchens are a room that no one would be allowed to mess
up....let alone do a stir fry that might spatter up the imported Italian
marble back splash and soil the grout.

No kidding - the kitchen in my house is a mess all the time, and the
granite island is never clean. I make it look nice when people are around,
but even by the time guests leave it's a sty again. I definitely would not
have made that design choice.

--
-Brian James Macke
"In order to get that which you wish for, you must first get that
which
builds it." -- Unknown


I have formica in my kitchen. Is granite hard to keep clean? I have never
had anything other than formica in a kitchen. My countertops are
light-colored and we have to keep on top of stuff or it stains the formica.
Oh, and like yours, my kitchen is never clean for very long.

Dawn

Forschners are clearly a cheaper knife but you see them a lot in restaurant
kitchens. For many applications (boning, paring, breadknife, etc.) there is
zero advantage to a forged knife and stamped knives do just fine at a
fraction of the cost.

As for the other brands, the "street" price seems to be lower. Not being in
the trade I can't comment on the dealer cost.

As some of the other posters alluded to, Henckels/Wusthof seem to have
clearly shifted their focus to the consumer (the granite kitchen/ Williams
Sonoma crowd for their upscale lines, in the case of Wusthof every single
consumer that breaths with their various cheap & serrated lines) and away
from the pro market.




"Fred" wrote in message
. net...

"Jack Denver" wrote in message
...
I dunno. They're both equally overpriced. Most real pros abandoned them
long ago for things that were cheaper and just as good - F. Dick,
Forschner,
Global, etc.


"Soda Pop" wrote in message
m...
Hello,

No, this isn't the same old annoying argument on which manufacturer
produces better knives. I think its safe to say they are roughly
equivelent in their matching lines.

Instead, my question is this: 10 years ago, when I purchased my first
set of knives, Henckel ruled supreme. Today, it seems that Wusthof
are the more popular "ones to get". I'm not suggesting to follow the
wave - but is there any reason for this change of popular opinion?

Perhaps there is a quality difference I'm not aware of..

SOda



How did you get those brands together? The Dick are virtually the same
price as the Wusthof etc. and the same quality. You may find them
discounted more but the dealer cost is about the same. Global are
slightly
less expensive but only slightly. Forschner are downright cheap knives.
I
wouldn't put them in the same sentence, let alone the same comparison as
the
other knives. Take care.

Fred
Knife Outlet
http://www.knifeoutlet.com

The funniest thing is that if you do find a blockfull of Henckels or
Wusthof in one of those show kitchens, they inevitably haven't been
sharpened since the day they arrived from Bloomingdales and are as dull as
butter knives (amazingly so considering how little use they get - perhaps
they use the granite as a cutting board?). There seems to be no concept
among this crowd that a knife is a device that requires periodic
maintenance. Once they lose their edge (and with no sharpener in sight)
these big $ gems might as well be dimestore knives - actually, my dimestore
knives, when I run them thru the sharpener, are much more useful than a dull
Henckels.





"Andrew Hardy" wrote in message
...
"Jack Denver" wrote:

snip
It is all a status symbol...to say the least. Probably
explains why most "granite" kitchens are a room that no one would be
allowed to
mess up....let alone do a stir fry that might spatter up the imported
Italian
marble back splash and soil the grout.

Wusthof actually has a cheaper silverstone line, but it's pretty rare to see
them, so I don't think it has had the same effect of diluting their brand
name as it has with the more wide-spread Henckels.


"Patti Beadles" wrote in message
...
Henckel seems to have completely diluted their brand with low-end
products.

Frankly, I have no clue what the difference is between international,
four star, five star, pro s, twin signature, fine edge pro, forged,
pro, everedge plus, etc. I can't walk into a store, pick up a
random Henckel knife, and have any clue whatsoever whether it's
high-quality or junk.

With so many other quality choices at prices as good or better than
Henckel, I can't see any reason why I should bother figuring it out.

I just checked out the Wusthof site, and it took me exactly one
click to get to a section that explains exactly what the differences
are betwen the classic, grand prix, and culinar collections are.
(Answer: just the handle construction. The blades are identical.)

-Patti
--
Patti Beadles, Oakland, CA |
|
http://www.gammon.com/ | MCSE: technology's version of
Check out www.tribe.net! | an ambulance chaser.

On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 00:49:58 -0600, DawnK wrote:

I have formica in my kitchen. Is granite hard to keep clean? I have
never had anything other than formica in a kitchen. My countertops are
light-colored and we have to keep on top of stuff or it stains the
formica. Oh, and like yours, my kitchen is never clean for very long.

Granite is annoying because it's polished. You can wipe it down, but it'll
leave a dull shine. If you've got oil on it, it's five times harder to
clean than if it's something water soluble. If I want it to look clean
I'll wipe it down with dish soap then wipe it clean with wet rags. I'll
buff it with a dish towel to make it shine.

Formica, thankfully, doesn't shine. You don't need to buff it or pull up
all of the grime before it looks okay. Sometimes wiping it down with a wet
rag is all you need. Darker or multi-colored formicas are better than
light ones, but I'm sure that Dupont has made some sooper-sekrit formica
that doesn't stain.

Dawn

--
-Brian James Macke
"In order to get that which you wish for, you must first get that which
builds it." -- Unknown

On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 00:30:17 GMT, Andrew Hardy
wrote:

All pros go to the local restaurant supply house and buy pots and pans....NOT
AllClad, etc.

Sigh. Here we go again. Not "all," merely most. Many of the finest
restaurants in the country use exclusively high-end copper pots and
pans, knives, etc. A case in point is the Inn at Little Washington.

-- Larry

Inn at Little Washington is not a good example..dinner starts at $120 per
person before tax, tips or drinks. For those kind of prices, they should
give you a complimentary forged knife or copper pan to take home. I've been
in high end restaurant kitchens where the pots are mostly beat up aluminum
things from Vollrath & such that look like they've been thru a war. The
food tastes just as good.





"pltrgyst" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 00:30:17 GMT, Andrew Hardy
wrote:

All pros go to the local restaurant supply house and buy pots and
pans....NOT
AllClad, etc.

Sigh. Here we go again. Not "all," merely most. Many of the finest
restaurants in the country use exclusively high-end copper pots and
pans, knives, etc. A case in point is the Inn at Little Washington.

-- Larry